Concrete & Sand... [2]

So what is behind the lunacy of my suggestion to make a life goal of following God in the sand rather than in concrete? Well, simply stated, life. And the Bible, and sin, and our weakness, and God’s faithfulness, and our power to choose.

Let’s be honest; life is difficult. The Bible does not hide this fact. Life is difficult because sin has done a number on us – far greater a number than we all too often realize I fear. We must also be clear, we are weak. And not only is this OK to admit, it is necessary if you are to follow God. Yet while we are weak, God is faithful. And when we acknowledge our weakness we can exercise our power to choose – and choose Him.

A reason I am suggesting a life goal of following God be made in the sand is because (and please recall the analogy disclaimer of yesterday) if you “draw a line in the sand,” so to say (or place your handprint and initials in sand, to keep with the concrete analogy of yesterday), and you want it to stay there (meaning you mean it), you have to revisit it daily. If your decision to follow God is made in concrete, you can mistakenly think that commitment will stand the test of time – no matter if you revisit it or not. Make no mistake about it, if you are going to resolutely follow God throughout your life, it is a commitment you will have to daily revisit.

A way of revisiting this commitment is through thanksgiving. In fact, I am becoming convinced that thanksgiving is the most fundamental thing we must do in following God. When you revisit your “line in the sand,” you further etch it as you recall what God has done for you. Yet in giving God thanks you dare not stop with what He has done for only you. You must also thank God for what He has done for others, for what He has done throughout history, and for what He has done to advance His Kingdom. Thanksgiving is tantamount to trust in God. And trust in God (or faith) is a prerequisite to following God. 

Another reason I am suggesting a life goal of following God be made in the sand is because your “line in the sand” will be met with challenges. We will call them the “storms of life.” What happens to a line in the sand during a storm? Yep, it gets washed away. At the least it becomes less noticeable. Have you ever been guilty of running away from God when things got difficult in your life? If you have not then congratulations, you and Jesus are the only ones to have never done that! In other words, of course you have. Yet if you know your commitment to follow God is in the sand, you know this commitment is susceptible and in danger of being washed away and forgotten when times get hard.

Let’s face it, pretty much all growth in life is through difficulty. Ever watch a baby learn to walk? It is humorous for us...but can be painful and frustrating for them. Ever watch world-class athletes? The grace and power and skill mask countless hours of grueling workouts and sacrifice. Ever watch a skilled laborer do their part in making a house? Have you ever considered their skills have come through hours of learning as well as having made many mistakes? The list of examples is endless. 

I think a reason why so many followers of Jesus are struggling and practically infants in their faith is because they do not embrace difficulty. When “life happens” and things get hard, they turn to a variety of things rather than to God (just to be clear, we have all done this). And all the while their line in the sand is beaten and all but washed away. Tragically, in place of the commitment to follow God (which includes relying on and trusting in Him), in deceptive ways mind you, comes a commitment to whatever they turned to in the time of difficulty (shopping, TV, giving into whatever thoughts enter their mind, eating, cutting, being busy, etc.). Yes, to keep our line in the sand – our commitment to follow God – we must revisit it daily. Indeed, often we need to revisit it multiple times a day, especially when the storms of life come. And let’s be honest, what day is totally “storm free” in your life?  

There are other reasons why I am suggesting a life goal of following God be made in the sand, but those will have to wait for another time.

Concrete & Sand... [1]

Some rather common wisdom concerning goals and achieving them is that you set your goal in concrete and make your plans in sand. Behind this thinking is the reality of life. Situations will arise, so how you plan to accomplish a given goal may have to change. It is obviously easier to change something in the sand than it is to change something etched in concrete. Furthermore, a goal made in concrete connotes a sense of permanence and stability.

Yet when it comes to following God, I am inviting you to consider with me the value of placing this life goal in the sand and leaving concrete out of the picture all together. Why would you even suggest this? Just read along please. Haven’t you ever read about the foolish and wise builders Jesus talked about? Which ones, those in Matthew 7 or those in Luke 14?  

Have you ever made (or seen) handprints in concrete? Examples with which I am familiar are agrarian (perhaps because not many children want to ‘immortalize’ their handprint with a name in the city limits). When the pad was poured for whatever (floor of a shop, approach to building, a sidewalk, etc.), a place was reserved for handprints in the concrete accompanied with initials (sometimes full names) and a date. It is kind of cool really. Yet, how often are those memorials (which is what they seem to be) forgotten? Oh to be sure, a person can revisit a site from their childhood and “remember when” if you will. Yet how often do the events of “remember when” come back to their mind without revisiting the site?   

Let the reader understand, this is an analogy. Analogies do not prove truth, they illustrate truth. Furthermore, all analogies will eventually break down at some point. So, let this be what it is – an analogy.

There are many who have “made a goal in concrete,” if you will, and have not revisited that goal in any substantial way for years. The intention is good: “I will be faithful to you as my wife/husband” or “I will follow God whole-heartedly” or “I am convicted, I will no longer ______”. A concrete resolve is made, with good intentions, but over time it is ignored. Granted, something might spur the person to “remember when,” but what follows the trip down memory lane is not set in concrete. Indeed, the trip can go a few ways. For some, it will embolden the person and they will recommit to their initial goal in concrete. After all, they meant what they said. For others, it will lead to the person being disheartened and defeated as they think, “Wow, a lot of good that commitment did me…just like a lot of other things in my life – F.A.I.L.U.R.E. – I may as well give up.” Yet they meant what they said as well... 

The above is not only unfortunate. It is also tragic. Worse yet, it is also reality day after day after day. What is the divorce rate in our culture? [And no, I am not saying a lack of commitment is behind all divorces – there are many factors] How many people have initially decided to follow God only to, at the least, wane in that commitment if not fall away? How many have been convicted that “this is the last time” only to return to it, or have it return – with a vengeance?

What if the goal was made in sand?  I realize I involved some other goals above, but I will now return to the life goal of following God – you can make the application for other life goals easy enough. Yet...Made in sand? What, like something that takes hardly any effort? Like something that can be easily washed away or eroded? To those inquiries I answer “No” and “Yes.” We will explore why next time… 

When I Slowed Down...

On Monday of this week I stopped everything and ate. It was good. To be clear, "it" was not the food. Oh I am sure the food was good, and if I thought hard enough I could likely recall what leftover food from home I ate. Yet what I mean by "it was good," is the experience I had. So...what happened?

Simply stated; I ate, observed my surroundings, contemplated things, and struggled to stay "slowed down."

If you think about it, having an abundance of food is a recent luxury. Granted, throughout history the wealthy could enjoy an abundance of food. Yet the majority of the world was not wealthy, and often food was scarce. A reality is, for much of the world today, food is still a precious commodity. Indeed, it is for those of us who are not "food poor" as well. Yet in a busy pace it is easy for food to become an assumed and simple given.

As I observed my surroundings I noticed the leaves rustling with the wind. When I take the time to notice this, it is rare if my thoughts do not turn to the Spirit of God. The Spirit is always at work, desiring to bring about transformation. The question is, for followers of Jesus at least, "Are we willing counterparts to what He desires?"

I also observed the busyness all around me. I-35 was to my left (south) and Old Highway 50 was to my right (north). There was not a moment when my eyes lacked a vehicle to observe. I find this amazing given how I could only see about 200 yards of either roadway from where I sat. We live in a fast paced world. Unfortunately, it is often this fast pace that blinds us to the continual working of the Spirit. God can, and does, work quickly at times. Yet His greater work is most often a process which takes great lengths of time...sometimes an entire lifetime.

As I observed the busyness around me, I wondered about the people driving by. Were some people on vacation? Were some commuting to work? Were some working and transporting goods? I also wondered how many of those people know God's Story. I do not mean have they heard about God...but rather, do they know His Story?

As I ate, reflected, and observed what was around me...I also had to struggle to keep focused on being slowed down. More than once my mind  drifted to what I could be doing. It did not take long to think, "Hey, I could blog about this...it has been a long time since I have written a blog."

I am convinced that living in the present is something many struggle to do. For some their present is too painful, so they think of better days gone by or blame others for their pain. For some their present is too boring, so the next new adventures fill their mind or they despair over their "pitiful" life. For some their present is filled with doubt, anxiety, worry, fear, and a host of other things - so precious time is filled with everything from workaholicism to escapism.

Yet for the follower of Jesus, the present ought to be the most joy filled place one could ever be. A Christian can face the uncertainties of the present based on the reality of an amazing future (Jesus' return which will usher in the Kingdom of God in fullness), which is assured by the past (The Christ Event - which includes Jesus' Resurrection - as Satan and all the forces of this world have been defeated). Granted, this does not make the present "easy" - but that is OK. Yet it does make the present worthwhile and manageable, and that is a huge and healthy shift for many.

Ultimately what happened when I slowed down was I opened myself up a bit more to a healthy rhythm of life. It has been said that idleness is the devil's tool in the hands of many. While there is truth to that, I think idleness (perhaps some would prefer to call it stillness...or slowing down...or downtime...) is a tool of the Holy Spirit that God's people need to allow Him to wield.

I Slowed Down The Other Day...

It was a Monday, two days ago, and things were going well - extremely well. I was back from some time away; both time off (vacation days spent mostly around home/Emporia), and time away to work on things for New Life (at an Abbey in Athchison), and I was being productive. While being productive is not a huge accomplishment, after all, it goes with having a job. Yet being as productive as I was on my first day back from time off is a big accomplishment - at least for me.

And in the midst of all of this productivity I did something extremely out of character for me. I stopped. In the past I would have kept going, kept being productive. Yet when I got hungry for my mid-day meal I not only ate...but I stopped everything and ate.

If I am not eating with my biological family, I work through my meals. I realize I am a guy, but I can multi-task if one of the things involves eating. So I spend my meal breaks reading, doing email, or something productive. Yet Monday, for the first time in a long time, I stopped. I sat outside, in the shade, and ate. It was good. I cannot remember what I ate...but I hope I will never forget what happened.

I must be honest, I did not conclude I needed to do this (stop everything and eat) on my own. Two weeks before, during mid-day prayer while at the Abbey, one of the monks thanked God for this break from the labor of the day to enjoy a meal...this time to rest. It resonated, deeply, with me.

Meals are an increasingly big thing for me - but most of that is tied in with the Eucharist (Lord's Supper or Communion if you prefer) - and I am not going into that here. Yet at the Abbey I was struck with how I often rifle through a meal, working...and not resting and taking a break from my toil.

What happened as I ate? I will go into that next time. Yet in the meantime I encourage you to slow down, stop everything, and eat.

I Am Convinced...

I am sure you noticed the title for this post did not end with a period (.), but rather with an ellipsis (…). This is because I have been pondering a thought for quite some time now, and I believe it is now time to hesitantly share it…while leaving some room for modification (hence the ellipsis). Here is the statement; it is harder to live for Jesus here in our culture than it is in other cultures. Of this reality I am convinced… 

Another reason I use an ellipsis instead of a period, is because my experience is in this culture. I have only read about following Jesus in other cultures; I have not experienced it. So allow me to cut to the chase again, phrased a bit differently, following Jesus is harder in our culture than in other cultures…

I have pondered this statement for a while for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it is one thing to ponder something, but it is another to put it out there for consumption. Quite often in my mind I think if my life does not reflect what I put out there, then what is my basis for making the statement? In other words; “practice what you preach”.

Granted, I am all for practicing what I preach. Yet we need to understand something; if someone highlights an issue or a problem, and for some reason their life does not match up to “the solution,” this does not mean the issue or problem is false or irrelevant. E.g., around 26,000 children will die today (and tomorrow, and the next day) from a lack of food or some other poverty-related issue. However, just because I am going to likely eat more than the bare minimum needed for survival on most days, and drive a car rather than walk to work, does not negate the reality that 26,000 children are going to die of preventable causes. In other words, just because I have not reduced the “stuff” in my life to what seems to be drastic measures (by our standards), this does not negate the truth of poverty devouring life on this earth. Truthfully, I think far too many Christians play the “Well yeah, but what are you doing about it?” card in order to somehow justify their lack of doing anything. Let us call that for what it is – sin.

OK, now back to why I am convinced it is harder to follow Jesus here than in other cultures. Simply stated, it is easy to know following Jesus is costly if a gun is pointed to your head for your professed belief (or a machete is being repeatedly lowered on your leg, or your house is being bombed, or your children are being targeted for death because the persecutors know they can no longer keep you silent by threatening merely your life), as you are given an option to repent. On the other hand, it is not so easy to tell following Jesus is costly when we are faced with upgrading to a nicer automobile (or home, or cable package, or brand of clothes) when what we have is honestly, and quite often, more than enough. 

On one hand, the above examples of “it is easy to tell” and “it is not so easy to tell” can easily be expounded. Yet on the other hand, we must not be fooled into thinking this applies only in the realm of materialism. However we cannot deny Jesus bluntly states “the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mk4:19). No wonder Jesus told a guy to sell all he had and give it to the poor (Mk10:21). 

If you are still reading, let me briefly expand this difficulty in following Jesus in our culture beyond the realm of materialism. For example, in a culture where your very life depends on unity and harmony in the body it is likely “easier” to reconcile and forgive an offense. Yet in our culture, where one can just leave one church and go to the next, or choose not to talk and reconcile with someone because the stakes for unity and harmony do not seem so obvious, well then forgiveness and reconciliation are easily viewed as an option. Similarly, it is perhaps “easier” to be blinded to the reality of how our actions impact others here as well. Yet I recall Paul saying something about protecting the Unity the Spirit has gifted to The Church (Eph4:3), and Jesus saying the world will know we are His disciples by how we love one another (Jn13:34-35; cf. Jn17:20-23). Those do not sound like optional aspects of following Jesus. Indeed, they are not; we are only deceived into thinking they are. Let us again call that for what it is – sin.

We live in a culture that teaches us to be self-centered, not self-denying. We live in a culture that teaches us to be independent, not dependent on God for everything. We live in a culture that teaches us things are disposable, not a resource to be leveraged for the Kingdom. We live in a culture that tells us relationships are replaceable, not valuable and worth fighting to preserve. We live in a culture that tells us unity is important so long as it does not cost us anything, not to go to extreme measures to protect it. We live in a culture that teaches us to consume will bring ultimate happiness and fulfillment, not that it leads to addiction and emptiness. We live in a culture that teaches us so many things contrary to God’s desires are acceptable, the norm, or just the way our culture is so we may as well accept it.

I think many people seeking to follow Jesus struggle with things in this post…yet sadly I think many have been placated into at least a partial resignation to the way things are. Yeah, it is harder to follow Jesus here than in other cultures, of this I am more convinced… 

 

So, I turn to God in prayer; thankful for His grace...yet expressing my desire to respond to It more fully. I realize this is a battle I cannot win on my own; of that I am convinced.

 

Shoveling Snow & Lent [2]

As we concluded our time together pondering shoveling snow and Lent last time, I stated, “the reality of sin in our lives can and does lead to jarring impacts…So what is one to do?”. Well, we will consider what to do in a moment. Yet before we do that let me start with an analogy, which I hope will prove to be helpful. 

If 20” or so of snow falls in a 24 hour period, it will eventually have to be removed. If it is not, getting in and out of one’s driveway will prove to be hazardous, if not impossible. Indeed, the snow will need to be removed from the driveway, sidewalk, etc. Well, there is the option of letting nature take its course and allowing the snow to melt. Yet aside for the soon to be seen irony with that choice, let us simply acknowledge that will make getting around your place extremely difficult and treacherous for quite some time. In fact, many people could even get hurt in the process.

Since the snow needs removed, one has a few options, of which we will look at two. One option is to wait until it is all done snowing, at least as best as one can tell, and then remove all 20” of snow at once. Another option is to go out a few times during the snowstorm and remove smaller amounts; obviously this will include scooping snow more than once to finish the job.

Option one, shoveling 20” of snow at one time, is no small feat. Even for someone in good physical condition, it will take a lot of time and effort. In fact, one may need to stop a time or two while doing a driveway, sidewalk, and/or deck. Indeed, doing this much snow at once would likely seem to be a daunting and impossible task. One might even get frustrated and discouraged while doing it – especially if one were doing it alone.

In option two, lesser amounts of snow could be done at breaks in the day – especially if it were a true “snow day” (i.e., a day without normal work). One could scoop a few inches shortly after waking up, scoop some more upon returning from work late in the morning (or else risk getting stranded away from home), then go back out in the afternoon, and perhaps in the evening as well. To be certain, this will still take time and effort, but the overall time and effort will be less. Well, the time might be a bit more, but I doubt it. Yet for certain the strain on one’s back is much less in dealing with 3-6” of snow multiple times as opposed to 20” at once. In fact, you cannot manually scoop 20” of snow at once. Indeed, one would be forced to scoop their way down to the bottom; either straight down or by taking a layer, then doing another layer, and likely another layer (not to mention those difficult icy footprints and tire tracks on the bottom layer).

Now what does this have to do with sin? Actually, I would not be surprised if many of you already know where I am going with this. When it comes to sin in our lives we have two basic choices: a) let it pile up until something has to be done with it – usually because of some sort of consequence or difficulty one now faces, or b) deal with it as it occurs in one’s life. 

Simply stated, dealing with sin is difficult; there is always fallout – somewhere. What do I mean by fallout? I mean your sin never impacts only you…it impacts others around you as well. We can pretend it does not, but it always does (e.g., read the Bible).

I would like to expound on the above analogies and draw comparisons, but I think you all can do that. So, instead of that, I will give an example of “a” and “b” with a common sin that is often overlooked – anger.

Actually, I will not. Not this time at least. I will simply end by stating the fact; sin has to be dealt with – sooner or later.

It can “accumulate” in one’s life until it is “too big” and “too daunting” and therefore people feel defeated before they ever start to address it. This is option “a” above. Or, one can live a repentant life and deal with sin as they are convicted by the Holy Spirit (option “b”). To be certain, this still takes effort and is daunting at times…but it is much more manageable – not to mention godly.

Oh yes, there is also a “c” option, you know, the “irony” from the second paragraph of this post. This option is to do nothing and let nature run its course. Well, in the course of sin – it is death. Granted, for those “in Christ” things are different…but it certainly leads to a lot of frustration, a lack of fruit, in short – bondage to the forces of darkness. This should never be the option of a follower of Jesus. Yet sadly, and ironically, it is often chosen; sometimes by default, other times as a preference.

We will continue again – likely by showing options “a” and “b” in relation to anger. Who knows, maybe option “c” will be included, I do not know. Yet this I do know, Jesus came to ‘destroy' the works of the devil (1Jn3:8). Yes, take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! (cf. the Bible).   

Shoveling Snow & Lent [1]

Shoveling snow and Lent huh? What do they have to do with one another? Well, I like snow. I do not like sin. I am growing in my appreciation of Lent. Yet on top of that; this is the season of Lent, we got a lot of snow yesterday where I live (KS), and sin – well, sin is pretty much everywhere.

Yet there is more to the connection of snow, sin, and Lent than their current presence all around me at the moment. However, their current presence was certainly the inspiration for this and some following posts.

Many in the Christian faith are familiar with the concept of their sins being washed “whiter than snow”. One’s knowledge of this could be via a text in Isaiah 1:18; “Come now, let us reason together, says YHWH, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (ESV). One’s knowledge of this concept may have come through a song, of that title, by James L. Nicholson. 

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;

I want Thee forever to live in my soul.

Break down every idol, cast out every foe;

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Refrain

Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

To be certain, it is assuring to know that even though sin has left its ugly mark on every single one of us, thanks to Jesus, we can indeed be “whiter than snow”. I can hardly think of that concept without having Romans chapter five come to mind – how God acted on my (our) behalf while I was still a sinner. Yes, because of Jesus I can be justified; I can be “whiter than snow”. 

I imagine the concept of being “whiter than snow” likely comes to one’s mind more readily when looking at fresh snow. After all, it is a peaceful picture, and taking that concept into our lives and how we are that way with God can be a comforting reality. Yet there is a hidden reality, if you will, under the pristine and unblemished fresh snow.

An elderly couple lives across the street from us; whenever it snows I clear their driveway as well. I will never forget the first time I cleared it. Why? Well, I did our driveway first and then headed over to theirs. In doing ours I had become accustomed to giving hard shoves and pushes to move the snow across the even driveway. Yet as I attempted this on their driveway I came to more than one shoulder-jarring (and back-jarring and wrist-jarring) halt. Why? Their driveway has a variety of cracks in it. Yet on top of that, grass and weeds had grown up in those cracks, and while they were now either dead or dormant, the left behind foliage added to the difficulty of snow shoveling. In other words, not only did I have to shovel the snow, I also had to feel my way for cracks, and then chop through the foliage in order to clear their driveway.

So, again you may be wondering – snow? sin? Lent? – I am not getting it. The issue is this. Despite the “whiter than snow” gift those “in Christ” have…a reality still exists. This reality is sin. Even the most beautiful snowfall only obscures what is really beneath the surface. In the case of our neighbor’s driveway it was a lot of cracks that made shoveling snow more challenging (and time-consuming). This is where Lent comes in. An aspect of Lent is preparing oneself for Resurrection Sunday (Easter) by taking a more serious look at sin in our own lives. Sin is present in your life; sometimes in obvious ways, but at other times sin is lurking beneath an otherwise pristine surface. What will you do about it?  

Just to be clear, I am not downplaying the truth of “whiter than snow” – yet I am calling us to not downplay the reality of sin in our lives either. While we may be “pure” in God’s sight…the reality of sin in our lives can and does lead to jarring impacts. These impacts affect not only our lives, but the lives of those around us as well. So what is one to do? We will look at that next time.